A British schoolboy has been sanctioned by Russia after exposing a Kremlin-backed money laundering network used to help fund Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
Alexander Browder, the 17-year-old son of Kremlin critic Sir Bill Browder, was sanctioned alongside four other British nationals by Russia's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
The teenager is believed to be the youngest person ever sanctioned by Mr Putin's regime.
Mr Browder was accused of spreading "defamatory speculations and false information" after penning a report for the Henry Jackson Society examining how Russia was allegedly funding its war effort through the A7A5 cryptocurrency network.
The report claimed that around $350billion (£260.6billion) in illicit funds had been laundered by rogue states, including Iran and North Korea, with roughly half allegedly channelled through the A7A5 network.
Last week, the Foreign Office sanctioned individuals and companies linked to A7A5, describing it as a network "designed to bypass Western sanctions" that claimed to have moved more than $90 billion last year.
Mr Browder, who advised ministers on the latest sanctions package, said he was "unfazed" by Moscow's decision and would wear the punishment as a "badge of honour".
"The sanctions don’t intimidate me. It tells me I’ve touched a nerve with my work," he told the Metro.
Alexander Browder, 17, was sanctioned alongside four other British nationals by Russia's Foreign Ministry
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"If the Kremlin are angry about my work on crypto laundering, then I’m looking in the right place.
"It’s unprecedented to sanction a 17-year-old. It’s clear I’m doing the right thing."
The schoolboy began investigating the money laundering network 18 months ago, which is believed to allow individuals sanctioned by Western countries to continue operating and helping fill Mr Putin's war coffers.
He described it as "one of the most significant developments in Russian sanction evasion", adding that the sanctions would only give his work "more credibility".
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"The Kremlin’s message to me is that I should stop. But my answer to that is - I’ll continue with more rigour."
Other Britons sanctioned in the latest round include Washington Post journalist Catherine Belton, CTG managing director Alice Mary Laugher, Chelsea Group founder Richard Nicolas Westbury and Richard Holmes, a journalist for The i Paper.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: "The British officials’ provocative anti-Russian rhetoric, continuing insinuations about Russia and London’s practical actions to pump the Kiev regime with weapons and military equipment are evidence of the British authorities’ unflagging intention to carry on the hard-line systematic confrontation with our country.
Last week, the Foreign Office sanctioned individuals and companies linked to A7A5
| GETTY"In response to these hostile actions, it has been decided to add several members of Britain’s media and expert community to Russia’s stop list for their involvement in circulating defamatory speculations and false information about the policy of the Russian authorities and socio-political events in our country, as well as for their calls to maintain and increase pressure on Moscow under the pretext of responding to the special military operation.
"In addition, the new additions to the stop list include the heads of British companies specialising in security matters and recruiting personnel for the neo-Nazi regime under the pretext of implementing pseudo-humanitarian projects in Ukraine."
All those sanctioned have been barred from entering Russia.
The Kremlin also urged Britain to step back "from its aggressive anti-Russian steps and support for Zelensky’s regime", accusing ministers of attempting to "escalate Russophobia".
Mr Browder's father has also been sanctioned by Moscow after being banned in 2005 for exposing corruption in Russia and spearheading the Magnitsky Act, which freezes the overseas assets of Russian officials.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “If the Kremlin thinks it can evade our sanctions by hiding behind crypto networks and shadow financial systems it is gravely mistaken.”
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